Trapeze and flying rings



Jan. 31, 1933 F. E. MAYO 2 5 TRAPEZE AND FLYING RINGS Filed March 23, 1952 I: GET-l ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 31, 1933 V :FLORENGE E. mAvaortamarCanr-zw YQRK" trauma-Ann retainer nines Application m March 2a, 193?. Serial No. isoazao;

My invention relates totrapezes and flying rings which are mounted" so as to be adapted for diversified movement while the performer is using them. More particularly,

5 my invention relates to trapezes and flying rings which are adapted to be rotated while being moved laterally back and forthabove a stage and/orwhile being moved upwardly and downwardly-above the stage. By moved laterally I refer to movement crosswise of the stage, that is, movement toward either side, the front or the back thereof, including oblique movement. I provide a mountingfor the trapeze and flying rings which comprises a carrier having means for rotating the trapeze and flying rings, a flexible support along which the carrier is adapted to" travel back and forth across the stage and which is movable upwardlyand downwardly above the stage, and means for moving the carrier along this support. My invention also comprises novel and effective means for rotating the trapeze and flying rings. 1

The principal object of my invention is to 3 provide a trapeze and flyin rings set adapted for movements such t at performance thereon will be very spectacular and; amusing and will hold the interest of a theatrical audience. This efiect is attained because of 39 the variety of movements provided by my apparatus. A secondary object is to provide a device requiring moreskill on the part of fore is useful for both 'amusement and gymnastic purposes. y I

My invention consists primarily in the organization of elements whereby the various elements cooperate to produce a combination 40 of several elementary movements, and partly'in the elements per se, as willbe apparent from the following description of an illustrative form of my invention and from the claims. My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my-apparatus, a part of the cover for the rotating mecha n ism being cut away to show better the rela tion of parts. I v 0 Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the positionof the carrier and trapeze and flying rings when the carrier has been 'moved near one of the extremities of its lateral movement. .i I

. Figure 3 is an elevation'of a-motor and speed reducing gear for rotating the trapeze and flyi'ngrings, a part of the cover for the motor and gear being cut away;

'Figure 4 isa topfplan vi'ewof theelements shown in Figure3. j a

. In the particular form of" the invention shown inthe drawing, lis a three-wheel pulley and 2 is a two-wheel pulley over which a cable or other suitable flexiblesupporting member 3'is passed. As shown, the pulleys land 2 are supported by chains 0- from the beam B, or otherusual means for supporting-scencry or apparatus in a theater,but it isobvious that these pulleys may be secured to a ceiling, side walls or any other suficientsupport. Theend 4 of cable 3 is-fixed'to' any suitable immovable member, while the end '5 is fas tened to a block hichfreceives"operatin cable 7 controlled by any suitable device 8, which may be one having such mechanical ad;

vantage as to permit of manual operation;

On cable'3, between pulleys '1' and 2 and by means of pulley wheels 9, is supported a car rier 10, to the upper part of which are secured two ropes or lines 11 and l2 for moving the carrier along cable 3. From carrier 10line ll passe's over one wheel o'f pulley 1 and down toward thefi oor of the stageor otherplac where the apparatus is b'eing used. ;.Line 12 passes from the carrier overthe second-wheel ofpul1ey2 and then over the remainingwheel of pulley 1 toward. the floor. By this ar- 1 rangement, it is obvious thata single operator may readily. manipulate lines 11 and 12,

which'are conveniently termed short line and long line, respectively" It is also apparent that aplur'ality of single wheelpulleys I may be used instead of the'mu1ti 1ewh 1 pulleys l' and 2. a

through speed reducing gear. The rotation of the" set is n'ormally' iabout a substantially On the base plate113 of the-carriervlojis rmounted'a prime mover 14, whichpreferably is an electric motor and which is adapted to:

Irotatethe trapeze andfiying ringsset 15 vertical axis, the deviation therefrom increasing as the carrier approaches the lateral extremities of its movement, as shown in Figure 2. The speed reducing gear comprises a worm 17 secured to the motor shaft by means of any suitable coupling 16, which permits the worm 171to-be made as a member separate. fromthef motor shaft, .a gear -18Ien.-'

10. gaging worm 17, a worm 20 on a shaft 19 which is common to gear 18' and worm 20,

and a gear 21 meshingwithworm 20 Sha'fti 19 is mounted in supports 22 carried by base' 7 plate 13. Gear 21 is fixed to shaft23 which passes through a suitably.hushed-opening in plate 13 andwhich is provided witha collar 24 to, maintainsha'ft i'n' prope'r relation with plate, 13, whereby gear21 is kept in mesh with worm'20." It will be noted that-there are-two stages of speed reduction in' this mechanism, namely, a first between worm. 17

and gear 18, and a second between worm 20.

and gear 21. A vcover 251s providedfor this I mechanism andzthe motor 14. The shaft 23 terminates 'inqa perforated flattened, lower end, to which is secured, as byabolts 26, the

trapeze and flying rings set is employed in the claims: Of course, the, trapeze and rlngs may be separate elements instead .of being connected together i-nthe manner shown in fltheudrawingw Control of thisset 15 1s com"- plete'd'by anelectriccable 29 which-runs from motor 14: over' pulleyBO to control switch 32,

' byzmeansofwhich any oneo'fseveral speeds of rotation of the set 15 maybe selected.

, Preferably, but-not necessarily, cable 29 is maintained taut. by any suitable reeling device 31. Pulley may besuprported in any suitable manneryas by a chain C from-beam The} operation. of my apparatus is as fol- I lows; The: carrier 10-and set 15 are lowered,

by operationofdevice 8, sufficiently forthe performer to-reach set 15, which is then raised asuitable height-above the stage. The carrier, and consequently the set 15, are moved back and forth across the stage by manipula-.

tion of- -short linel lland long line ,12,

while'set 15 is rotatedat a speed selected by means of switch 32. Set 15 may be given a vertical movement, additional to that result? I ingfrom-movementalongcable 3, by operat1on"of:dev1ce"8-; or SHCl'lVBItICLl movement may be given set 15 without the lateral move- ,ment; Because of theconstant change ininclinationof-carrier 10 and set 15, due to move-. ment along a flexible support-such as cable 3, as shownf'by F igures'land 2, the means for rotating set-15 is mounted on the carrier- 10,

7 whereby, except"for-.the neces sary reduction [said set While being moved in speed, direct application of rotative force I of the prime mover 1 1 to the set 15 is obtained. V 7

It will be readily seen that, with my apparatus, set 15 may be given simultaneously rotary, lateral and vertical movements, and various paths of movement, by ation of the various controls.

1. In combination, a trapeze and. flying rings set, means for supporting said'set in a suspended positionymeans for moving said set laterally while supported by said first suitable oper- V V mentioned means, and means for rotating.

said set while being moved by said secondmentloned means. r V

-' 2. In comb1nat1on,;- a trapeze gfilld' flying rings set, means for moving said setup and down, 'means for moving-said .set laterallybackand forthwhile supported bysaid first- I V mentioned means, and .means for rotating by sald seconds mentioned means.

j 3: In comblnationfa tra peze and flying rings set, means for; supporting said set in'a suspended position and for moving said set laterally back and forth, and means for rotate ing said set while beingsupported and moved by said firstementioned means. .g.

1. In combination, a trapeze and flying rings set, means for supporting 'said set-in a suspend'ed positlon and for movlng' said set laterally back and forth in a curved path, and.

means for rotating'said.setwhile being supported by said firstmentioned means:

5 In combination, a. trapeze and said set laterally back andforth 'while supported by said first-mentioned-means, ana $5 means for "rotating said 's'et while being moved by said sec ond-menti-one'd means. I 3:6 .In combination, a trapeze and flying y rmgs set,-means for supportlng sa1d set 111' various ln'cllnefd pos1t1ons, means for I11OV1I1g ringsset,-'means for moving said set laterally V 7 back and fortln m'eans for supporting-said set in varyinginclin'edpositions asit' is moved back andfiortlnand means for rotating said set while being movedback and for'th. 7. In "combination, a trapeze and flying rings set, means for moving said set'laterally 'backand forth, means for moving said set up and down and for supporting it'in varying inclined positions as it is movedback and forth, andmeans for rotating said set While being moved by'said first-mentioned i2) 7 andsecond-mentioned means.

8. In combination, a trapezey-a'nd flying rlngs se't,'ac'arr1er for'supportlngsald set,

means for moving jsaid carrier back and forth, means for supporting said carrier so i25 that said set assumespositions of varying inclinations as itmoves back and forth, and.

means for rotating said set while said carrier 1s movlng back and forth. 1

In combination, a trapezeand flyin'g r1ngsset,-a carrier for supporting said set,

in a suspended position, means for rotating said set, flexible means for supporting said carrier, and means for moving said carrier back and forth along said flexible means. I

10. In combination, a trapeze and flying rings set, a carrier for supporting said set in a suspended position, means for supporting said carrier and for moving it back and forth in a curved path, and means for rotating said set.

11. In combination, a trapeze and flying mugs set, a carrier for supporting said set in a suspended position, means on said carrier for rotating said set, and means for moving said carrier up and down and laterally back and forth. 12. In combination, a carrier, means for suspending said carrier above a stage, means 7 for imparting to said carrier in its suspended position a reciprocating movement, a trapeze and flying rings set carried by said carrier, and means on said carrier for rotating said trapeze'and flying rings set during said re ciprocating movement; V

13. In combination, a-carrier,means for lowering and raising said carrier above a stage, said means being also adapted to support said carrier in various positions above the stage, means for moving said carrier back and forth across the stage, a trapeze and flying rings set suspended from said carrier,

and means on said carrier for rotating said set, said last-mentioned means including a prime mover. r

14. In combination, a carrier, means for lowering and raising said carrier above a stage,

said means being also adapted to support said carrler 1n varlous' posltions above the stage, means for moving said carrier back' and forth across the stage, a trapeze and fiy ing rings set suspended from said carrier, and means on said carrier for rotating said set about a generally vertical axis, said last-mentioned means including an electric motor and speedreducing gearing.

15. In combination, a trapeze and flying rings set, a carrier supporting said set in a suspended position, the upper part of said carrier having pulley Wheels, a cable passing under said pulley wheels, said cable passing over fixed pulleys on opposite sides of-said carrier, means for moving said carrier along said cable between said fixed pulleys, and

means on said carrier for rotating said set.

16.In combination, a trapeze and flying rings set, a carrier rotatably supporting said set in a suspended position, the upper part of said carrier having pulley wheels, two

multiple-wheel pulleys fixed in spaced relation to each other, a cable passing under the carrier pulley wheels and over a Wheel of each fixed pulley, the ends of said cable being secured against movement except when up and down movement of the carrier is desired, a rope secured to said carrier and passing over a wheel of one fixed pulley for mov- I ing said carrier laterally in one direction, a second rope secured to said carrler and passing over a wheel of each fixed pulley for mov-- "cluding a carrier, a'trapeze and flying rings set adapted to be suspended from said carrier, flexible means for supporting said carrier, and means for moving saidcarrier back and forth on said flexible means; means on said carrier for rotatingsaid set, said last: mentioned means comprising an electric motor and speed reducing mechanism positively connecting said motor and said set.

19. In a device of the class described including a carrier, a trapeze and flying rings set adapted to be carried by said carrier, means for supporting said carrier, and means for moving said carrier back and forth on said first-mentioned means;'means adapted to rotate said set and mounted entirelyon said carrier, said last-mentionedimeans including a prime mover.

Signed this 2lstda of March, 1932..

FLO ENCE E. MAYO. 

